REM frontman Michael Stipe wants Billie Eilish for a possible biopic – because of similarly blue eyes. Everything about his unexpected dream cast.
Since the film “Bohemian Rhapsody” about the band Queen was released and enjoyed immense success, there have been new biopics about the greats in music history almost every year. Michael Stipe recently spoke about a possible film project about his band REM. In the course of this, the name Billie Eilish came up. What could the singer have to do with such a work, should it even go into production?
Billie Eilish as young Michael Stipe?
On April 23, 2026, Michael Stipe was a guest on the “Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and was interviewed by it. The two men speculated about a film about REM and, above all, wondered who could play the musician – both at a young age and at an older age.
As for the Michael Stipe of the later years of his career, the frontman quickly made up his mind: “It has to be David Cross.” Whoever took on the younger part made the singer think longer. However, he then approached his interlocutor with a surprising statement: “Maybe Billie Eilish could do it. She would do it well.” The late night host agreed: “Yes, you guys have similar blue eyes.”
The idea was surprising because the musician is not known for acting and has not yet appeared in Hollywood films. When asked whether the “Losing My Religion” interpreter had met the 24-year-old before, he answered “yes”: she once held the door open for him in Manhattan. However, he didn’t know her back then. However, the 66-year-old only had words of praise for his ideal choice: “She is incredibly polite and sweet, but I only knew who she was when she had already walked down the street.”
New solo album
As his late night appearance continued, the artist talked about the sound of his next album. This is his first solo album ever. “One of the songs sounds like a tree hearing itself for the first time,” he said. “It’s a confusing situation. A friend of mine recorded a tree in my backyard in Georgia and played the recording to him, and so it sounds like Daft Punk, but I add a sea shanty to the song.”
Michael Stipe then gave a live performance of his new song “The Rest of Ever”. The single appears to be addressed to a loved one.
